Technology | Science

Google Lets A Few Californians Take Its New Self-Driving Car For A ‘Test Drive’

Google just unveiled its latest self-driving car and let a few lucky Californians take it for a “test drive.” The all-electric autonomous car is a prototype and doesn’t have a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator pedal. Simply summon the car with a smartphone app, just press “Go,” and the vehicle’s software and sensors will safely take you to your destination.
[GoogleBlog]

This ‘Drinkable Book’ Is Capable Of Providing Someone With Clean Water For Up To 4 Years

DDB New York and WATERisLIFE recently collaborated together to create ‘The Drinkable Book’, ‘the first-ever Manual that teaches safe water tips and serves as a tool to kill deadly waterborne diseases’. Every page in the book is coated with silver nanoparticles and works like a ‘scientific coffee filter’, capable of destroying 99.9% percent of harmful bacteria. Each book contains 48 filters and can provide a single person with clean water for up to four years.
[WaterIsLife] [Via]

The Story Behind The Most-Viewed Photo In The World, The Windows XP ‘Bliss’ Wallpaper

As Microsoft retires support for Windows XP, the company takes a look back at the story behind the most-viewed photo in the world, Windows XP’s default wallpaper, ‘Bliss’. The iconic photo was taken in June of 1996 by former National Geographic photographer Charles O’Rear along Carneros Highway in northern California. O’Rear recently sat down with Microsoft to share the story behind the famous image.
[MicrosoftNL] [Via]